JAMIE Speare is fast becoming the king of the penalty saves.
The 25-year-old has faced two over the last few weeks and saved them both denying Radcliffe Borough in the FA Trophy and Castleton in the Lancs FA Marsden Trophy on Tuesday night.
"I'm just doing my job," laughed the former Everton trainee who has been at the Crown Ground for four seasons.
"I just look at the way the player is lining up, which foots he kicks with, and guess! Luckily I've dived the right way the last two times.
"It's good to do as the lads always have their fun at the other end so I'm just having my bit!"
The stop against Radcliffe from Mark Dempsey was a match-saver, as the game ended 0-0 and Stanley won the replay to line up a second round tie at home to Altrincham.
"I just tried to put him off by moving around and it came off."
But Speare had to save the one against North West Counties opposition Castleton in the midweek despite a 7-0 win.
"I'd given it away," he admitted. "I was getting a bit too clever, dribbling around, and trying to do a Fabien Barthez. We were 5-0 up but the pressure was still on to save it."
The other player who made his mark in that game was assistant manager Jimmy Bell who came on for the final 25 minutes and scored a hat-trick.
"We will never hear the end of it," said the goalie. "I am reliably informed by him that it was a goal every eight minutes and he is very proud of it!"
It's been an inconsistent season for Stanley where the early part of the season saw them leaking too many goals.
"We were conceding an average of three goals a game," said Speare, who was signed by former Stanley boss Billy Rodaway. "Some of them were my fault, some of them were other people's.
"I think Smithy (Jonathan Smith) has got his game together. He has had a number of partners at the back with Paul Burns, Paul Howarth, Steve Hollis and earlier in the season Jay Flannery so there was quite a few for him to adapt to but he seems settled now.
"And Barrie Hart has come in on the left, played two games and looks quite solid.
"Burnsy has also moved into the centre of defence in recent weeks and played quite well considering he is only four foot five!
"But it's not just the four in front of me, I look on it as the ten. It's a team game although the ones that score the goals tend to get all the attention.
"So I am glad to get some of the praise some times!"
Blyth Spartans are next up for Stanley at the Crown Ground tomorrow in the UniBond Premier Division.
"They seem to be a bogey team for us. Last season we lost 2-1 at their place and drew 3-3 at ours. And they knocked us out of the cup. I think we have only beat them in the first season I was here. We never seem to win but hopefully that will change."
Speare has been impressed with the new-look Stanley side of this season.
"We have some good players. I am sure if someone was to pick the top 25 players in our league we would have six or seven in there.
"We have Peter Cavanagh who has done unbelievably well and Lutel James who must scare defences to death with his pace.
"Then we have Mark Brennan who has spent 55 years in non-League. And of course John Coleman, the manager, he has bags of experience."
The boss does want to win every game and this, Speare says, rubs off on the players.
"It has to. He wants to win everything. Even in training he will cheat so he wins!
"But he carries the winning attitude onto the pitch.
"We still want to get promoted but I think we are one of the top six teams in this league and I think we will finish in the top six, without a shadow of a doubt.
"And I think that will be good for us. It is still an achievement."
Stanley boss Coleman said: "Jamie has done well for us. He is in a good run of form at the moment, he is confident, his handling is good and so is his kicking."
"He did well and scored," said the Reds chief. "He is a fit lad but will need quite a few more games to get back to full fitness."
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